Chapter 306: Slime Defeated
"Bonding! With the endless bonds of light, shatter the darkness, Master of Chaos!"
The vortex brought by the Fusion dissipated. Appearing on the field were Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, standing side-by-side, counted as a single monster despite clearly being two. However, their current name was Master of Chaos.
[Master of Chaos] [Level 8/DARK]
[Spellcaster Type/Fusion/Effect]
[2800/2300]
"Oh, it's the card Yugi Mutou and Hayato used to defeat Maximillion Pegasus!" Joey Wheeler, watching from the audience seats, said excitedly upon seeing Master of Chaos appear. "He summoned such a high-level monster on the first turn, that's Yugi for you."
"But what's the use, no matter how high its ATK is?" Mai Valentine poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "If he can't break through Regenerating Slime, even a God can't inflict damage on Marik, right?"
Kaiba and Hayato had both used God Cards before. Although The Winged Dragon of Ra left the field in a rather undignified manner, Mai Valentine firmly remembered the pressure it exerted upon its appearance. And the only one of the Three Egyptian God Cards that hadn't appeared, that... Osiris, seemed to be in Marik's hand. Could Yugi, without a God Card, defeat Marik?
"Don't worry," Hayato said, full of confidence in Yugi. "I think Yugi has already figured out a way to break through Regenerating Slime's defense. Or rather, Regenerating Slime, which has no protection whatsoever besides its revival ability, is actually just a lackey." He added, "Look, Yugi is about to make his move."
On the Duel Field, Yugi played a card from his hand. "Although it can absorb and revive from both battle and effect destruction, what about this card? I pay 1500 Life Points to activate Fiend's Hand from my hand!"
[Yugi: 4000 → 2500 LP]
As his Life Points decreased, Yugi couldn't help but feel a wave of weakness wash over his body. When Marik activated Black Snake Diasease last turn, this duel had quietly evolved into a Dark Game. Actively paying Life Points was fine, at most causing physical weakness. However, if Life Points were lost due to an effect or battle, the pain it brought was quite heavy.
Marik's face didn't look good. "He actually paid a full 1500 Life Points to activate a card?"
"Fiend's Hand's effect can only be activated by me declaring a type and attribute," Yugi explained the card effect. "If a monster with the type and attribute I declare exists on the opponent's field, the opponent must send that monster to the Graveyard."
"What I declare is, naturally, Regenerating Slime's WATER Attribute and Aqua-Type!"
On Yugi's backrow, a mass of ominous black mist rose. Within the mist, a grinning skeleton appeared, raising a finger and pointing towards Regenerating Slime on Marik's field. It wasn't a physical attack or spell damage; Regenerating Slime's life was instantly stripped away. Without even a chance to resist, it was sent into Marik's Graveyard.
Because this was not destruction, Regenerating Slime's effect simply couldn't activate. Furthermore, Fiend's Hand itself also had the ability to seal the effects of monsters sent to the Graveyard and cards with the same name.
"Then, once per turn, when a Spell/Trap Card effect is activated, I activate Master of Chaos's effect." Yugi drew a card from his deck. "I draw one card from my deck. If it's a Spell/Trap Card, I can directly set it on the field."
Saying this, Yugi glanced at the card he drew into his hand, placed it into his Spell & Trap Zone, and then waved his hand, commanding, "Let this monster deliver judgment upon you, Marik! Master of Chaos, direct attack Marik!"
"Twin Magic!"
Following Yugi's command, Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl both raised the magic wands in their hands. At the tips of the two-colored wands, a purple magic orb wrapped in blue lightning formed and was sent forth by the Master and Disciple towards Marik, who had no monsters on the field!
"Hmph hmph, want to finish me quickly? That won't do, Nameless Pharaoh. If I can't make you fully experience pain before ending the duel, I won't be able to rest easy." Marik grinned sinisterly, flipping up a set card in his backrow. "I activate the Trap Card Absorption Shield! I negate Master of Chaos's attack, and my Life Points recover the amount of its Attack Points."
The magic blast surely hit Marik, but after hitting him, the magic power contained in Master of Chaos's attack was quickly absorbed by Marik. His Life Points not only didn't decrease at all, but instead shot up a bit.
[Marik: 4000 → 6800 LP]
Seeing Master of Chaos's attack negated, Yugi revealed a knowing smile. "As expected, although you prepared the troublesome Regenerating Slime on the field as the first layer of defense, Marik, you really did prepare other means in your backrow."
"But my attack isn't over yet, Marik!"
Saying this, Yugi opened the card he had just drawn and set with Master of Chaos's effect. "If a card set by Master of Chaos's effect is a Quick-Play Spell Card or a Trap Card, it can be activated in the turn it was set. I activate the Quick-Play Spell Card De-Fusion!"
As Yugi activated the De-Fusion card, the people who were expecting the virtual projection on the field to show some brilliant characteristic again saw Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, who were originally standing side-by-side, exchange a glance and take a step apart.
[Dark Magician] [ATK 2500]
[Dark Magician Girl] [ATK 2000]
"Because of De-Fusion's effect, Master of Chaos leaves the field. At the same time, its Fusion Material in my Graveyard—Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl—are Special Summoned back to my field."
Seeing Yugi's composed expression, Marik pursed his lips in annoyance. "Because you Special Summoned a monster from the Graveyard, Card of Safe Return's effect activates! I can draw three cards."
Similar to Regenerating Slime, the Card of Safe Return Marik used was also the Anime Version Effect. Not only could he draw three cards every time a monster was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, but there was also no restriction on whether it was his own or the opponent's.
However, even though he drew three cards, Marik temporarily couldn't play the cards in his hand. He could only watch helplessly as Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl, who had only moved a little apart, shamelessly gained the ability to attack again.
"Attack continues!" A smile played on Yugi's lips as he mercilessly commanded, "First, Dark Magician Girl's attack!"
Following Yugi's command, Dark Magician Girl raised her short staff and began chanting. A blue magic orb appeared and quickly rushed towards Marik.
Marik's gaze subconsciously looked towards the other two set cards in his backrow. One of them was Metal Reflect Slime, which could increase its ATK/DEF based on the damage the opponent inflicted on him. The other card was Call of the Haunted, which could revive a monster from the Graveyard.
If he was willing to use Call of the Haunted to revive Regenerating Slime from the Graveyard, the maximum damage the two monsters on Yugi's field could inflict on him would only be 2000 points. In that case, his Life Points would still have 4800 remaining.
There was also Metal Reflect Slime. After activation, it would become a high-DEF monster with 3000 DEF in Defense Position, capable of completely blocking the attacks of the two monsters on Yugi's field.
But Marik thought about it and gave up. Compared to Life Points, he felt it was more worthwhile to save these two cards to exert their maximum effect later. Fiend's Hand's effect from before hadn't disappeared yet. If the revived Regenerating Slime were destroyed again this turn, Marik didn't have extra revival means prepared for a while.
Although Metal Reflect Slime had high DEF, as a Trap Monster with no protection, it couldn't even be revived by Call of the Haunted. It would be a huge loss if Yugi Destroyed it with cards like Thousand Knives.
At the moment of decision, Dark Magician Girl's attack had already landed on him.
"Ugh!"
[Marik: 6800 → 4800 LP]
"Then Dark Magician!"
"Gah!"
[Marik: 4800 → 2300 LP]
As comfortable/pleased as Marik was when absorbing Master of Chaos's attack before, that's how much pain he felt now being hit directly by two Dark Magic attacks. After a brief exchange, Marik's Life Points, which were originally a little over six thousand, were reduced to even lower than Yugi's, who had paid 1500 points.
"Set a card, I end my turn." After glancing at his hand and keeping one of them, Yugi ended his turn.
[Yugi: 2500 LP, Hand 1]
[Dark Magician] [ATK 2500]
[Dark Magician Girl] [ATK 2000]
[Set Card]
Lowering his head due to the pain from the two consecutive direct attacks, Marik's breathing sounded a bit heavy. When it was his turn and Marik raised his head, Yugi was surprised to find that even though Marik was just screaming in pain, his face didn't show even a trace of pain. Instead, he seemed quite pleased and enjoying it?
"This is the feeling! Pain and torment, is there anything more enjoyable in the world than this?" Marik's expression was twisted as he dug a finger into his temple. However, he wasn't a vampire after all and knew his own limits, so he didn't get so high that he drilled his finger into his temple.
"It seems your performance is over, Nameless Pharaoh. In that case, it's time for my judgment. My Turn! Draw!" After drawing a card, Marik pointed his hand towards Yugi. "During my Standby Phase, Black Snake Diasease's effect activates! It inflicts 200 points of effect damage to both players!"
"Hiss~!" As Marik's words fell, a sharp pain came from Yugi's palm, which had been bitten by Black Snake Diasease's poisonous snake before. It felt like being frozen by biting ice, and also a bit like being burned by fire.
But unlike Yugi, although Marik's palm also subconsciously flinched due to the pain, the expression on his face was simply as pleased as if getting a massage.
[Marik: 2300 → 2100 LP]
[Yugi: 2500 → 2300 LP]
"My turn begins! I activate the two set cards in my backrow!" Marik reached his hand towards his Duel Disk's Spell & Trap Zone and flipped up the two set cards. "Continuous Trap Card Call of the Haunted, and Continuous Trap Card Metal Reflect Slime!"
"First, I resolve Metal Reflect Slime's effect! This card becomes an Effect Monster after activation and is Special Summoned to my field in Defense Position!"
On Marik's backrow, a large amount of metallic-looking liquid surged out from the opened Metal Reflect Slime card, as if a flood had broken through a dam. On Marik's field, it condensed into the form of a tall minotaur, as if alive.
[Metal Reflect Slime] [Level 10/WATER]
[Aqua-Type/Trap/Effect]
[0/3000]
"A monster with 3000 DEF!?" Kaiba, on the stands, frowned. This DEF, not too much, not too little, how is it just at the point where Blue-Eyes White Dragon cannot be destroyed?
Recently, he had noticed something. Every time there was a Duel Monsters match, once certain high ATK, high DEF monsters appeared, someone would always subconsciously compare it to Blue-Eyes White Dragon, especially when the monster's ATK or DEF was exactly 3000 points.
"Amazing, its DEF is actually 3000 points, capable of rivaling the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Glancing out of the corner of his eye at the laptop Mokuba was holding, Kaiba saw a bullet comment like this float past in the livestream feed.
"Tsk, how annoying."
Kaiba always felt this must be some kind of malice. My Invincible Blue-Eyes is not meant to be used by you as a combat power unit.
Compared to Kaiba, who was suddenly in a bad mood on the stands with an annoyed expression, Yugi felt a bit confused.
"This card, he should have set it last turn, right? Why didn't he use it when Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl attacked before?"
And within his heart, Original Yugi gave his thoughts: "Although I also can't figure out why, if Marik thinks he must keep this card even if it costs 4500 Life Points, then this card must have some important use later on."
"Are you wondering why I kept this card until now, Nameless Pharaoh~?" Marik smiled and opened another card. "Just wait a little longer. If it's that monster, no matter how long the wait, it will be worth it."
Saying words that made no sense, Marik opened his second set card. "I activate Continuous Trap Card Call of the Haunted! I will revive Regenerating Slime from the Graveyard!"
"At the same time, because of Card of Safe Return's effect, I draw three more cards!"
Declaring that he would draw cards and placing his finger on the top card of his deck, Marik revealed a sinister, wild laugh. "I feel it! That monster, it's here!"
Yugi couldn't help but feel his heart race. Although Marik didn't draw a card, he felt an aura he had only felt before. That was the aura of a God Card!